Photo: Jean Beaufort · CC0Grizzly Bear Falls
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A cascade on Grizzly Bear Creek.
The details
- Type
- Cascade
- Watercourse
- Grizzly Bear Creek
- Coordinates
- 43.86361, -103.46381
About Grizzly Bear Falls
Grizzly Bear Falls is a 10-foot cascade in South Dakota, on Grizzly Bear Creek.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Grizzly Bear Falls 5.4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Know what this listing is before you drive: an officially named waterfall that may not present as one. 'Grizzly Bear Falls' is a real GNIS place name in the Black Elk Wilderness south of Mount Rushmore — there's even a USGS stream gauge named for it — but the World Waterfall Database states plainly that it is 'unable to confirm whether this waterfall exists.' Lidar confirms a gorge, not a drop.
Hiker reports match that uncertainty: one found only a jumble of boulders at the mapped point, with minor 5-to-10-foot cascades downstream; another photographed a small defined drop after several creek crossings. The honest read: a small, strongly flow-dependent cascade that's only worth chasing in spring snowmelt.
Go for the quiet wilderness creek walk near Rushmore and treat any waterfall you find as a bonus.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground on US-16A (Iron Mountain Road), about 1.9 miles from Keystone — unmarked trail starts across from campsite 12
- Parking
- Day-use parking at the back of the campground — a small fee (one report says $4) may be collected by the host
- Road
- Paved highway to the campground
- Hike
- 2.5 mi round trip, 350 ft of climb (Easy-to-moderate with five unbridged creek crossings — expect wet feet; sources disagree on exact distance (2.2 to 3 miles round trip))
- Heads up
- Don't confuse this approach with Grizzly Bear Creek Trail #7 — that's a separate 6.1-mile wilderness through-hike from the south end that passes no documented waterfall.
When to go
Spring after snowmelt, or right after heavy rain — every source agrees that's the only reliable window.
Summer and fall visits are likely to find boulders and a quiet creek rather than a falls.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free — Black Elk Wilderness; self-issued wilderness permit at the trailhead register
- Hours
- No posted hours
- Camping
- Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground at the trailhead ($24/night, mid-May to early September)
- Warnings
- Remote area with very limited cell service, five unbridged creek crossings, and poison ivy along the trail — long pants and real footwear.
Researched from World Waterfall Database — Grizzly Bear Falls · World of Waterfalls — Grizzly Bear Falls · Parker Parker Photography — Grizzly Bear Creek Hidden Waterfall Hike · USGS — Grizzly Bear Creek above G.B. Falls monitoring station. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Grizzly Bear Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is Grizzly Bear Falls?
Grizzly Bear Falls drops about 10 feet, in South Dakota.
Where is Grizzly Bear Falls?
Grizzly Bear Falls is a cascade in South Dakota, at 43.86361, -103.46381.
Is Grizzly Bear Falls worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 5.4/10.
Gear for the trip
As an Amazon Associate, Plungeworthy earns from qualifying purchases.
